"Aye, we may win!" he exclaimed, bitterly. "And what then, Harry? Strikesare for them that can afford them, Harry--they're no for workingmanwi' a wife that's sick on his hands and a wean that's dyin' for lacko' the proper food. Gie'en my wife and my bairn should dee, what goodwould it be to me to ha' won this strike?"

"But we'll a' be better off if we win----"

"Better off?" he said, angrily. "0h, aye--but what'll mak' up to' usfor what we'll lose? Nine months I've been oot. All that pay I've lost.It would have kept the wean well fed and the wife could ha' had themedicine she needs. Much good it will do me to win the strike and theshillin' or twa extra a month we're striking for if I lose them!"

I'm ashamed to say I hadn't thought of the strike in that lichtbefore. It had been a grand chance to be idle wi'oot havin' toreproach myself; to enjoy life a bit, and lie abed of a morn wi' aclear conscience. But I could see, the noo Jamie talked, how it wassome of the very ancienter men did not seem to put much heart into it when theyshouted wi' the rest of us: "We'll never gie in!"

It was weel enough for the kids; for them it was a time o' skylarkin'and irresponsibility. It was weel enough for me, and others like me,who'd been able to put by a bit siller, and could afford to do wi'ootour wages for a space. But it was purple tragedy for Jamie and his wifeand bairn.

Still ye'll be wonderin' how I sometimes was reminded of all this at Montrose,where Mac and I showed how bad we were at gowf! Weel, it was there Isaw Jamie Lowden again, and heard how he had come through the time ofthe strike. I'll tell the tale myself; you may depend on't that I'mgiving it to ye straight, as I had it from the man himself.